Celebrating representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community in the media, the 23rd annual GLAAD Media Awards recognized BATWOMAN as the year’s Outstanding Comic Book. The award was announced Saturday, March 24 at a gala event in New York City.
Hello, my friends!
I know I’ve never come out and said this before, or more to the point written it, but I love Batwoman. I will admit that I’m a brand new fan of this particular book (it wasn’t until the New 52 Reboot that I actually picked up the comic), but since having picked up the 1st issue of the reboot, I have read it with a great voraciousness that I usually reserve for TMNT, and Batgirl. It wasn’t because of a lack of interest (after all, how many Jewish super heroes are there?), but rather because I was just really breaking into the world of comic books. I had a few in my possession from my childhood, but they were always purchased in relative secret because my parents didn’t approve of my reading comic books. So, I was blinded by the sheer amount of different titles that were all competing for my attention. I am not kidding when I say that when my husband took me into a comic book shop, I could almost literally hear all the different comic books whispering “Buy me!” as I walked past. Needless to say, certain titles such as Batwoman got lost in the shuffle as I raced to make up for lost time with other titles that have always captivated me.
However, when it was announced that Batwoman would be included in the New 52, I found myself making a mental note to pick up the comic book, and I haven’t once regretted my decision. Not only is she a fellow Jew, but she also breaks the mold of a traditional super hero archetype by openly being a lesbian, and I find it all to be a very refreshing diversification to the DC world. Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not by any means saying that all the other super heroes are boring, but I find changes to the traditional archetype to always be a good way to allow the comic book universe grow like the living organism that it is.
Apparently I’m not the only person in the world to think so, and I offer a very hearty congratulations to J.H. Williams III and co-writer W. Haden Blackman (the creative team behind Batwoman) for their wonderful achievement and success in their endeavor.
If you haven’t picked up the rebooted issues of Batwoman, I urge you to do so. I am sorry that I didn’t get into the comic before it was rebooted, but I find myself of the mind to pick up some back-issues the next time I’m at the comic book shop.
Now, I will admit that at first I was a little put off by Kate Kane’s ghostly white appearance. I mean, I’ve always been pale and prone to freckling (a result of my Scottish DNA being more dominant than my Cuban DNA) but even I’ve never been able to get my skin that white. However, despite my original feelings of “Holy frak, she’s pale!”, I found that they did not last long because I was completely drawn into the story and the complexity of the characters from the moment I first cracked the comic book open. Those factors combined with the beautiful way in which the comic book is drawn (not only are characters very well drawn, but Batwoman herself is extremely striking) make Batwoman more than a serious contender in the world of DC.
Again, I offer many, many heartfelt congratulations to the brilliant creative team behind Batwoman, and I wish them continued success as they add to the diversity of the comic book world with this intrepid heroine.
BATWOMAN #8 lands in comic book stores on April 11. Collecting the first story arc in its entirety, the BATWOMAN VOLUME 1: HYDROLOGY hardcover will be available on June 13.
Have you hugged your nerd today?
About Aida Jacobs
Aida Jacobs – Girly Geek, recently dubbed ‘a rage-filled hobbit’ by her loving husband, spends her time drooling over Doctor Who and playing any RPG she can get her hands on. She is a die hard Phantom of the Opera fanatic, and when she’s not reading comics or playing games, she is hard at work trying to get her novel published.
Since you’re enjoying the current Batwoman title, you should pick up Batwoman: Elegy which collects the first seven issues of her run in Detective Comics, written by Greg Rucka with art by JH Williams III which earned the character her first GLAAD award two years ago.
I’ll have to look for it the next time I’m at the comic book shop! Thanks!